ALEXANDRIA, VA (January 22, 2009) The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) today announced that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will participate in RBFF’s Direct Mail Marketing Program to increase fishing license sales among lapsed anglers. Thirty-one states currently participate in the direct mail initiative, a three-year program designed by RBFF to increase participation in the sport and generate awareness of the connection between fishing license sales and conservation efforts.

“We are thrilled to partner with the WDFW on this direct mail effort,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “Recruitment and retention of fishing license holders is critical to long-term sustainability of our natural resources. This multi-state effort has already generated significant funds for fish and wildlife management and we are working hard to sign on eight additional states to the program this year.”

“We’re excited about working with RBFF to encourage lapsed anglers to once again spend some time outdoors participating in one of Washington’s many world-class fisheries,” said WDFW Deputy Director of Operations Joe Stohr. “Fishing is a great outdoor experience, especially when you can spend that time building life-long memories with family and friends. We hope through our partnership with RBFF, we can encourage more people to get back out on the water and create those lasting memories.”

The Direct Mail Marketing Program, which includes direct mail templates, instructions to implement a direct mail campaign, marketing assistance and advertising support from RBFF, is designed to identify and target resident lapsed anglers and increase fishing license sales. By increasing fishing license sales, a critical source of funding for state agencies, the program may also have a positive impact on boating participation. Fishing is a strong pathway to boating, according to a study released by RBFF in April 2007. The marketing research, which collected data from more than 1,000 people, revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents purchased their first boat in order to fish and three-quarters cited fishing as the most popular activity to do while boating.

The latest figures reveal that more than 215,000 fishing licenses and permits have been sold in the first 28 states as a result of the program. Based on these results, the program is contributing to state conservation and fish and wildlife management efforts with $3.87 million in gross revenue to date. Individual state reports with the details of each state’s program and first-year results are being shared with stakeholders as they’re finalized.

More information about the program, including press announcements and a list of participating states is available at RBFF.org.

About RBFF RBFF is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing campaign and Anglers’ Legacy.